Justice is not an abstract principle. It is the dignity of being heard, the freedom to speak, and the right to live without fear. I will continue to use law, solidarity and my voice to make that dignity possible for others. –Jalila Haider
“For breaking barriers, as the first female lawyer from her Hazara community, to challenge ethnic, state and patriarchal persecution, guided by the conviction that no human being is illegal.”
Jalila Haider is a Hazara human rights lawyer and activist protecting Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities against state repression, patriarchal norms and ethnic violence. In 2018, she led a seven-day hunger strike against the targeted killing of Hazaras that forced the Army Chief to negotiate directly with Hazara women, resulting in a sustained decrease in attacks against the community.
By combining legal work with street activism and community empowerment, Haider has secured justice for thousands targeted or ignored by those in power, specifically ethnic, gender and religious minorities, as well as refugees. Her law firm has also helped restore freedom of movement for more than 600 political activists and human rights defenders.
As a founding member of the Women’s Democratic Front (WDF), Haider helped pioneer Balochistan’s first Women’s March, a street mobilisation that sparked discussions on feminism across the deeply patriarchal region. Her organisation “We the Humans” has also helped over 400 widows of terrorism victims gain financial independence. Despite detention, cyber-harassment and death threats, she continues working toward a world where, in her words, “no human being is illegal.”